Failure To Yield

When I was in the 5th grade, I was assigned the job of a school crossing guard.  I got to wear a special vest and carried a metal sign on a pole with the word, “Stop”, printed in red and white across its face.  This was a big deal for a young boy. I was honored to be tasked with the safety of other people.

One day, as I was helping a group of younger kids across the street, a car slowed a bit then busted right through the crosswalk. This all happened as I stood in the middle of the street with my sign fully extended and visible with a line of kids in the crosswalk.  We all froze in place as the car accelerated between us. I noticed the angry driver was the father of one of the kids at our school. I knew this was wrong.  It was wrong at a deeper level than I was able to fully process at the time. In that moment, I felt ignored and demeaned. The other kids were confused and scared. Adults weren’t supposed to act that way.

Over the years, I have come so see this same thing happen in the adult settings of daily life. It takes place in the business world, in the church environment, within families and anywhere where those with more years of experience, position or power fail to honor those with less stature.  These people come up to a situation where someone is trying to make it across a challenging season of life and they choose to simply blow through the painful circumstance feeling their position in life provided them the privilege to bypass the need.

Some of the most powerful scripture we have describes Jesus interacting with those deemed “less” that the rest of culture – lepers, a woman caught in adultery, a vertically challenged man named Zacchaeus or a fumbling, over-confident disciple named Peter.  In these places of interaction Jesus revealed the compassion of the Father and brought heaven to earth. Today, if you are searching for miracles, signs and wonders, they are waiting at the crosswalks of life where the broken, lame and emotionally challenged are trying simply to get across.  In the middle of these crossings you will discover your place of ministry.